Getting Feedback

"Features and benefits." Anyone who's done any training in sales has heard that phrase hundreds, if not thousands of times. You may even have a paper sheet (gasp!) that you filled out for the products you sell that lists "features" on one side, and "benefits" in the other. The customer you interact with today - do they get the "feature/benefit" story from you still? Why? There's an easier way to make great sales through engaging feedback to develop loyal customers without using a sales technique that, while still taught by many manufacturers, is outdated at best, and insulting at worst.

Let's explain it this way:

Ever ridden a unicycle? One wheeled transport device - simple in concept, yet practice though you might, pretty hard to ride. Certainly hard to ride for a long distance. Very few can - ever see a photo of bicycle commuters? Although very easy to store and carry, not many in any commuter photo for sure. Now think about a standard bicycle - two wheels. Two wheels add stability, most have ridden one at some point, and certainly the easier of the two modes of transport to operate for the majority of people.

"Feature and benefit" sales are a single mode of transportation of information - a one wheeled device you attempt to pilot during the engagement process. While it seems like a very engaging way to help sell products and or services for many newer sales professionals, where is the actual dialog in the process? How much interest can possibly be had from a customer with a reiteration of facts and the maybe benefits you dictate to them? Try as you might, that single strategy won't win many deals. Worse, most customers don't get it as it relates directly to them - exactly like a unicycle. The "why" this product or service is important is lost when you start with the innumerable details about outputs, comforts, blah, blah, blah, and they've changed the channel (mentally). The customer doesn't understand or care about your unicycle.

Let's try something with TWO wheels instead - Options and Opinions. The two "O"'s even look like wheels to help us all remember that ultimately it is a dialog that builds a good sales relationship with end users. The key phrases of "Can I get your Opinion on this..." and, "Can I show you some Options that..." change the monologue of facts into an engaging process. Simply put - most people can understand riding a bicycle, have done so, and so therefore know what to expect!

Everyone has an Opinion - "that's too soft", "that color is great", "that wifi enabled whatever is a fantastic answer to MY needs"; the list goes on and on. Asking for an Opinion about products, colors, finishes, styles, anything you sell, gets a conversation moving toward what someone is actually looking for that maybe they didn't really find online. How many websites have you visited lately that ask for your Opinion before you buy? Surely we'll be asking for a review later, but what about at the beginning? Do this correctly and you'll become a critical component that no website can do by asking for their feedback directly. Care about what they believe.

Showing Options is what makes sales a profession. It's about Options they've asked for, or commented on, while asking for their Opinion. People love Options more than ever, however can be overwhelmed by the information. That list of products they've selected before they came to see you is full of Options as they relate to the products. Why not dig into those Options of the products rather than just meeting a price and clerking the deal? Narrow the focus with their Opinions, and then show relevant Options that match their feedback. Show them exactly those options that match what they care about. Easier way to traverse the sale!

One last take away - do you know who is really good at riding unicycles? Clowns. Know who's great at riding bicycles? Olympians.

Close 'em all.